


a warm heart

by stonerskittles



Series: Femslash Exchange Fics [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-09-05
Packaged: 2018-04-16 19:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4637622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stonerskittles/pseuds/stonerskittles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kali gets a cold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a warm heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Minalover](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minalover/gifts).



“I’m dying,” Kali slurs, wiping at her runny nose with a tissue.

Her limbs feel heavy, sore like she’s been working out for hours even though she’s only moved twice today, and both times were to pee. One minute she’s feverish, too hot for clothes and the next she’s freezing, pulling the thick blanket over her head with a tortured whine.

Between the coughing and not being able to breathe through her nose, whenever Kali does manage to fall asleep it’s brief and uncomfortable.

The worst part though, is that her senses are blocked. Kali has relied on her heightened senses ever since she was first turned, and not being able to smell _anything at all_ is making her a little paranoid.

She _hates_ being sick.

Jennifer snorts, and runs a hand through her sweaty hair. “You’re not dying.”

It had taken her a full week for Kali to even admit she felt a little under the weather, but now that the cold - Because that’s what is. A cold. Kali hasn’t had a cold in years - has kicked in fully she’s a mess. The only reason she’s showered and left bed at all is because Jennifer insisted on looking after her, despite Kali’s attempts at saying that she’s a grown werewolf who can look after herself.

(Also, Kali doesn’t want to risk Jennifer getting sick. Not that she said that aloud. There’s little Kali dislikes more than talking about her feelings, being exposed and vulnerable, but from Jennifer’s smile Kali thinks she got it anyway.)

“You don’t know that,” Kali sniffs, looking up at Jennifer.

They’re on the couch, Jennifer sitting on the end with Kali stretched out, head in her girlfriend’s lap. It’s comfortable. Jennifer is constantly touching her; stroking her hair or rubbing her arm, and Kali keeps drifting in and out of sleep, even though she tries her hardest not to. But that’s mostly because after she’d woken up the first time it happened, Jennifer gleefully told her that she snores.

“I do,” Jennifer tells her, smiling. “You’re a badass Alpha werewolf, you’ve faced worse than a cold.”

“True,” Kali says, thinking of Deucalion. How he seduced her into joining him, with promises of power and freedom.

(Later, she’d realised the pattern. Deucalion went for packs that abused their power, not unlike himself, and found the wolf with the most potential. A wolf that had been beaten down to the point where they didn’t care when they slashed their Alpha’s throat. The easiest one to manipulate.)

She still has dreams of when she killed Julia. Technically, she hadn’t, Kali knows. But Jennifer isn’t Julia. Sometimes she feels guilty because she prefers Jennifer; how much stronger she is, the way she stands up for herself now.

“Hey,” Jennifer taps her on the shoulder, as if sensing where her thoughts had gone. “You want a bath? It might help clear your senses a bit.”

It would help her sore muscles, as well.

Kali smiles softly. “That sounds perfect.”

Ten minutes later the tub is full, and Kali sinks into it, running her hands along the bubbles. Instantly, she feels better. Her nose doesn’t seem as blocked, and while she still can’t smell Jennifer, at least she can get a hint of the jasmine scent infused in the bubble bath.

“You look like you’re in ecstasy,” Jennifer comments, sounding amused.

“Close,” Kali murmurs in response. Her eyelids feel heavy, and she lets them close as Jennifer instructs her to sit forward so she can wash her hair.

Any other day Kali might feel childish with Jennifer doing this for her, quietly reminding her to tip her head back so water doesn’t get into her eyes and massaging the shampoo through her hair, but not today. Now she grateful for it, just the thought of moving her arms makes them ache.

“Your fingers are magic,” Kali whispers, voice a little scratchy.

It’s true, Jennifer’s hands rake through her hair gently, working through any knots with patience and doesn’t tug her head back once, which Kali is thankful for.

“Literally,” Jennifer says, then sniggers at her own joke.

Kali snuffles. “You know what I mean.”

Jennifer kisses her temple. “I do.”

The rest of her bath is mostly silent. Jennifer washes her back while the conditioner soaks, and Kali does her front so she doesn’t feel _completely_ useless.

“Let’s get you to bed,” Jennifer taps her backside lightly when she’s out of the bath and wrapped in a fluffy towel. “I’ll put on some cheesy rom-com and make you some soup.”

“Thank you,” Kali says, unable to meet Jennifer’s eyes. She’s not used to people helping her, not without their own agenda, and it’s… nice. She doesn’t really know how to handle it, but beneath the fear she feels safe. Warm.  

Jennifer tilts her head up, presses a quick, soft kiss to her lips. “It’s what you do for the people you love."

Then she’s walking away, padding to the kitchen but Kali stands still, breath caught in her throat. _The people you love_ , Jennifer had said.

They haven’t said that yet. Not even before, when it was her and Julia.

_I love you._

Kali swallows, heart beating fast in her chest, and promptly starts coughing. Loud, deep coughs that leave fluid stuck in her throat until she sticks her head under the faucet and takes a few gulps of water.

“You okay?” Jennifer hollers from the kitchen, followed by the microwave beeping and a muffled curse.

“Fine,” Kali yells back, probably a little too loud.

She makes her way to the bedroom slowly, fighting the urge to flee. It would be easy; as long as she didn’t sneeze she could sneak past Jennifer and out the door. Or she could jump out the window. She’s a werewolf, it wouldn’t hurt her too much, and any wounds would heal within minutes.

Kali’s almost talked herself into it, planning while she puts on a pair of boy shorts and a baggy shirt, and then she hears it. Jennifer humming softly to herself, occasionally singing a line of whichever song it is.

It’s terribly off-key and Jennifer giggles whenever she messes up a high note. Kali can imagine her dancing, shaking her hips and making silly faces as she cooks.

The whole thing makes her stop, a smile tugging the corners of her mouth up before she can stop it. It calms her down, body relaxing instantly.

She wants to be here, Kali thinks, looking around the room. Jennifer’s book is on the nightstand, those scented candles she loves spread across the room, dirty laundry mixed with her own. Kali knows the room smells of both of them, has done for months now.

It feels right having Jennifer’s things in her room, settles something deep inside her.

“Remind me to get groceries tomorrow,” Jennifer says as she walks into the room, balancing a tray that holds a glass of orange juice and a bowl of soup. She stops and frowns. “Why aren’t you in bed?”

“Just dressing,” Kali replies, then smirks. “Unless you’d rather I be naked.”

“Always,” Jennifer winks. “Now get into bed so you can eat.”

Kali obeys with no argument, mostly because she’s starting to feel a little cold. Jennifer waits patiently until she’s settled, sitting up against the headboard and blanket over her legs to place the tray in her lap.

While she eats, Jennifer sets up Netflix.

“ _John Tucker Must Die_ or _Mr and Mrs Smith_?”

Kali swallows the last of her juice. “Definitely _Mr and Mrs Smith_.”

Jennifer nods. “I thought so.”

She finishes her meal quickly, eager for Jennifer to join her in bed, and five minutes later she has her wish. There’s little better than this: being huddled close with her girlfriend in bed, belly full and warm. If she presses her face into Jennifer’s neck she can _just_  about smell her, like freshly cut grass, blueberries and that heady magic scent.

It’s perfect, except for the need to sneeze every five minutes, and the fact she can feel her eyelids getting heavy, sleep trying to take her even though the movie isn’t even half way through.

“Sleep,” Jennifer whispers, then presses a kiss to her damp hair. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Love you,” Kali whispers, and she sleeps.

* * *

Two weeks later it’s Jennifer that has the cold, nose red and lips set in a scowl as she glares at Kali.

“I hate you,” she mutters as she takes the hot bowl from Kali and sips her soup.

“No you don’t,” Kali says, putting on _Moulin Rouge_. “You love me.”

Her heart skips a beat when Jennifer smiles shyly at her and doesn’t disagree. They stare at each other, smiling like a pair of idiots.

… Until Jennifer starts wheezing, hand coming up to cup her mouth and accidentally knocking over the bowl in the process.

Jennifer makes a face, soup all over the bed and her forearm. “Oops?”

“You’re lucky I love you.”

 


End file.
